The need for protective clothing has long been recognized by both military and commercial personnel. The manufacture and use of certain dangerous chemicals such as pesticides, toxic materials etc. in the form of sprays or mists, gases etc. requires that personnel involved therewith be provided the safest protective clothing available. Protective clothing has, in the past, been manufactured from completely impermeable materials such as plastics or oilskin. These products did not prove sufficient however, due to preventing the egress of heated air and perspiration from the wearer. Other attempts to provide protective clothing involved the use of absorbent charcoal or other materials in particulate form, however, these products also involved difficulties due to the loss of the particulate material over a period of time. The use of quilted woven carbon cloth and adhesives to bind the carbon particles, also was less than commercially successful, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,586,596; 3,769,144.
Accordingly, if a fabric configuration could be developed which overcame the disadvantages of previous fabrics, a step forward in the art would be achieved.